Operation: Kiss Kate Todd
by problematick
Summary: Yes folks, you read that right; the Sex Machine has a plan to capture the heart of Spring Break '94's Wet T-shirt contest Champion. Tate, of course. Maybe a little Gabby on the side. R&R, please.
1. Formulating The Plan

AN: Heya, this is one of my first (if not the very first... :P) NCIS fics. TATE of course, the only other thing is GABBY - which was very implied in this and I thought it was cute. Anyway, I digress. :D This one just popped in my head at 12:30 Tuesday night (Btw, I LOVED that episode soooo much:D ) , so I apologize in advance if this doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Granted I **did** reread it at a normal time of day, but hey, in my world everything looks good that has my favvie pairing! grin So I'll stop babbling now and let you read the story. On with the show! Yay:D

Spoiler: End/Post-ep Conspiracy Theory

Disclaimer: Oh, I own them, sure. In my little fantasy world where there's no KIBBS and they are already together. :D

* * *

The familiar little electronic beep that signaled new mail sounded in the pen, but neither agent saw the pop-up on their screen. Both Tony and Kate shared a distinctly terrified look before rushing to gather their things and high-tail it outta there. 

"Uh, bye Gibbs!"

"Yeah, see ya, Boss!" And with that they nearly ran to the elevator, breathing a small sigh of relief as the doors dinged closed. They were safe from his expected wrath, at least for now. Kate now took the time to punch the button for the lobby before striking up an argument.

"I thought you deleted it! Now Gibbs is going to kill us!" She huffed and pulled on her coat, flipping her hair in that irritatingly cute way. (Only Tony would think of this as his boss looks at an airbrushed copy of him decked out in leather cowboy chaps.)

"I DID delete it, and you were supposed to too!" He paused in his indignant defense to pull on his own jacket, juggling keys, a cell phone and his PDA while slipping one arm through a sleeve. Kate watched him smooth out the creases in his shirt and as much as she hated to admit it (only to herself of course, because if she shared even this minute compliment, Tony's ego would easily inflate to fill the elevator alone), he was pretty built. Maybe she'd let cheating on the crunches slide...she found it hard to steer her mind away from dangerous territory, and she was thankful when his words brought her out of her reverie. "Look at it this way; we're even again, and we're both doomed. Is that okay?" He glanced at her, knowing that the semi-serious turn in this conversation was about to be cut short by the end of the elevator ride.

"Yeah," she met his gaze and flashed a small smile that made his heart flutter. "I guess if we're goin' to hell, I'll still have someone to tease..." she turned forward but still flicked him a sly glance, "_sex machine._" The way she said his old frat-boyterm made him want to flip the emergency switch and just ... !(Make good on his nickname, perhaps? ;D)But he decided to play along as the doors slid open and they walked side by side to the parking lot.

"Oh ho ho, don't you know it! You only wish that was me in that picture Kate," he took the opportunity to lean close and whisper the last bit in her ear, "but I know that was you." She froze for a moment, trying to stave off the urge to shiver at a subtle hinting in his voice.

"S-sure DiNozzo. You keep tellin' yourself that," Kate managed to quip back, opening her trunk and throwing her stuff in. Tony walked to the passenger side, leaning on the roof of her car (I don't know what she drives, okay?). Opening her door and looking up at him, she arched a brow at his grinning face and rolled her eyes in disgust as she realized he was eyeing her up for the billionth time. (Though it **was** getting harder to pretend she didn't like it.) "You mind, Tony? I'd like to get home before sun up."

"Hm? Oh, sorry Kate." He pushed off from his slouch and held up his hands to accentuate his next gibe. "Just imagining what I must have been like...in '94, I mean. Seein' you up there, getting drenched by --"

"Oh enough already! Go home you pig!" With that she slammed the driver's door shut behind her and burned rubber off her squealing tires she streaked out of the lot so fast. Upon reaching the first red light she took a few deep breaths and closed her eyes, leaning back in the seat and fanning herself with both hands. Something about that incredibly immature yet alluring man was getting to her. Now, was it just Kate or had it been kinda hot back there? (grin)

Tony watched her pull out and strode to her car, a trademark smirk on his face. For once his over-confident self was right. _/She totally wants me./_ And behind green eyes (is that what color they are?) he began to formulate a plan; Operation: Kiss Kate Todd.

* * *

AN: Tadaa! My first TATE NCIS fic. Help me out with the things I don't know, and tell me if I'm doin' great or horrible. Any reviews are welcomed; I'll take all the help I can get:D Thanks for reviewing ('cause I know you will, right:D) Oh, and so you know; I have absolutely NO idea where this is going! This bit was from a wonderful little plot bunny that tackled me, but I seem to have lost it in the fray. Suggestions for where this could go are appreciated; in the mean time I'll do my best to figure it out! 


	2. Punishments and First Steps

AN: Okay guys, thanks for the feedback, firstly! I got so many reviews I was very very excited. :) Alright, so now to thank angels122; the next morning idea was great, thanks so much! Also to Salem Navy for reassuring me that his eyes ARE green. :D I will refrain from inserting my own thoughts, but to warn you ahead of time: I may make things up as I go along, just because I'm wingin' it on a few personal facts of theirs, okay? Uhm, I think that is all...Oh yeah; I don't know how long this is going to be, but maybe just three or four chapters, depending on what you guys want and let me know about; also how much TATE fluff I can squeeze out will be a factor. Anyway, that is all for now, so on with the show:D

Spoiler/Disclaimer: First chapter, all the same.

* * *

The NCIS team worked with chatter in this early morning, but both Tony and Kate avoided speaking to each other except for explicit moments when it was necessary. Probie looked back and forth between the two, raising an eyebrow in a traditional "What the hell?" at the lack of arguing and bickering like two siblings between Todd and DiNozzo. An awkward quiet (at least for Kate and Tony) settled over the pen as Gibbs strode in. Setting down the traditional coffee cup, he slid into his chair, working as fast as he could on his computer with his minimal knowledge of the machine. A few minutes of silence punctuated only by the sound of typing or clicking a mouse later, the top agent broke the silence, opening the file cabinet and pulling out his standard issue. All three members of the team raised their heads as he clipped the gun onto his belt.

"Where we goin' Boss?" Tony piped up, the first one to speak, as always. Gibbs paused, a flicker of a smile on his lips before the stoic facade was set in place.

"Well, to thank the two of you for the ... compromising pictures," Kate and Tony shared a nervous glance before looking to their CO again as he continued, "_You'll_ be catching up on the paper work and readying the files for our next case." Tony could barely hold back the heavy sigh of relief; this was getting off easy! It seemed that Kate didn't share the same thought, however, because she sank back into her chair, rubbing her temples but responding with her bright voice all the same.

"Okay, Gibbs. What papers do we need to pull?"

"Anything you can find on a.." The silver haired man glanced down to his notepad, coming out from around his desk slowly, reaching into his jacket pocket at the same time. "Second Lieutenant James Volden of the Corps."

"Sure, Boss." Tony wrote the name down, swiveling his chair around to his computer and typing the enlisted man into the Marine database.

"McGee!" The young man jumped slightly at the barking voice, his normal stuttering response passing his lips.

"Yes, Boss?" Gibbs didn't look up from his notes before tossing the keys at the new(ish) agent.

"Gas up the car; you're with me. We've got a dumped body; turned up on the shore of a river early this morning. Ducky's already en route."

"Yes, Boss." He pulled together his scattered items and didn't see the smirk on his mentor's face as he exited the pen, Gibbs flipping closed his little book and sliding it into the breast pocket of that suit. As soon as they were both out the door, DiNozzo leaned back, kicking his feet up onto his desk and reaching down for a paper bag; his computer was busy finding every scrap of information he would need. Kate looked up a few minutes later, shaking out her hand from writing numerous notes to the lower agents of what records they'd need at the infuriating sound of Tony smacking his lips around some snack.

"Tony!" She exclaimed, already exasperated with her partner. It wasn't even lunchtime yet and he was already whittling her down to the last nerve.

"Wha?" He mumbled, spewing the crumbs of a ridiculously large blueberry muffin across his desk.

"Don't just leave me to do all the work. If this is our punishment, you're not slipping away from this that easily!" She crossed her arms, set in this resolve; she was goin' down under a butt load of paperwork, but she sure as hell was taking him with her! Swallowing the mildly dry lump of breakfast, he wiped away the specks at his lips before speaking back.

"Work smarter, not harder, Katie," he teased, that bright grin melting her frustration. "Besides, I'm getting the **new** stuff; you're finishing the **old** stuff." He found himself being hauled up, the rest of his neatly packed breakfast spilling on the floor under his desk. "Whoa! Kate, what the!"

"We're going to go work somewhere quiet, and you'll have to do things the old fashioned way - without your precious computer." Normally Kate would be all for the advanced technology and convenience it brought them, but just to spite Tony, she'd trudge through the day without it. He whined all the way down, though she never let up her vice grip on that upper ear lobe that allowed her so much power over him. Three hours and five tons of paper later, Tony just about fell out of his chair with boredom. Reluctantly raising his head off his arms, he looked over to that beautiful brunette, who was still working diligently.

_/How do you do it, Kate? Just work and work...I guess that's what I love about you. And I know that there's just something plain **irresistible** about my charm that makes you love me./_ He didn't notice the silly smile that spread across his face, but Kate sure did the next time she glanced up to see if he was comatose yet. One eyebrow arched and a small smile put a glow on her face which had previously been furrowed by lines of concentration.

"You finally crack, DiNozzo?"

"No!" He retorted sharply, sitting up and wiping his mouth, in case he _may_ have been resting his eyes and _perhaps_ dozed off for a minute or two...or 60...

"Sure look like it..." She shook her head and tucked a lock of that dark brown hair behind one ear. Her manicured nails clicked on the metal table top of Interrogation Room 1 (it was the only vacant space) before tidying up her half of the files.

"Kate, I don't think I'm going to be able to finish this tonight..." She glanced up from neatly labeling all her papers, adding a paper clip here and highlighting a sentence there; finishing touches before she turned it in to Gibbs.

"And? You had all day to do it, Tony. Gibbs is expecting that tomorrow morning, 9 AM sharp."

"Yeah, so um, I wanted to ask you if you would consider-" He couldn't even finish his sentence before she stood up, the metal chair's legs screeching over the cold tile floor.

"Ohhhh no! I am NOT doing your work. I've done my part, and you have to do yours. You don't have any more blackmail, so you can just forget it!" she huffed, stacking and re-stacking the data.

_/Damn, I can't even get a foot in the door - how am I going to kiss her? Oh well, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. First on the list; get her on a date that she doesn't think is a date, but it really is a date, or at least some kind of dinner that maybe isn't a date to begin with, but turns into one./_ If Tony's logic doesn't make sense, don't worry; it's not just you he confuses. He put on that hurt look that made her cave so many times before.

"I wasGOING to say have dinner with me and only helpme go over the case files...but if you don't want to, then I'll just go home and be all alone with my lasagna." He rose, starting to stuff his files away. He averted those bright emerald hues, knowing that he would break the magic he cast over her if they met her beautiful brown ones. _/3..2...1...and.../_

"Okay, Tony, I'm sorry. I guess I can help you this one time -- but no more, you understand? And I'm only doing this because there's nothing in my refrigerator besides a head of lettuce that's too far gone and some mustard. You're paying, right?" Her beaming smile made him forget his plan of seducing the woman for a moment, and he felt something new (warm and slightly fuzzy, perhaps) inside for a fleeting moment.

"Thanks Kate, of course I'll pay; what kind of guy do you think I am?"

"Well I don't know let's see - a pigheaded, annoying, rich," she started rambling on and on about how conceited he was, but she was really stifling a fit of elated giggles. _/Maybe he does like me...No! I'm just crazy, and out of wack since he's been controlling me. It's a simple dinner; strictly professional. ...but what do I wear/_ Tony had tuned out, and was still planning the next stage of his mission; dinner.

* * *

AN: Whew! Hope I didn't screw up and ruin this too badly. Oh, and OKAY! I understand, no more of my notes in the middle. I got a lot of comments about that. Sorry for the distractions. ;) Any more suggestions for what you want to happen? Well you gotta review to let me know:D 


End file.
